Manufacturing The first section deals exclusively with the technical specifications and manufacturing of the Cross. It contains detailed blueprints, descriptions of manufacturing, and acatalog  with photos and characteristics of each maker.  This is one of the principal sections of the article. Embroidered/ Cases Because the German Cross was a heavy award, a cloth (embroidered) version was authorized for wear.  This type was particularly popular with Pilots, Tank Crews and others forced to operate in tight work environments.  This section also covers the cases the awards were presented in. Documents This section delves into the documentation that accompanied the Order.  It covers the annotations in personal documents (Soldbuch, Wehrpass), transitional award documents, and official award documents of the Heer, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. Conditions Recipient he ultimate reason the award even existed - the men of the Wehrmacht - are reviewed in this division of the study.  How many won the award?   What did they have to do to get it?  These questions and more are answered here. Other & 1957 There are exceptions to every rule, and the authors were able to find three which are detailed in this subdivision.  Also covered here are the miniature version of the cross, meant to be worn on the lapel, and the 1957 "denazified" version to be worn by surviving veterans. Reproductions All German decorations have been faked, and until recently the complicated construction of the DK made it a very difficult award to copy.  Because this has all changed, this segment of the investigation focuses on the issue of reproductions. German Cross Index Wehrmacht-Awards.com Index

By François Saez and Jacques Calero   

 

Document

The decoration was presented accompanied by a provisional certificate (Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis) and/or a formal certificate (Besitzurkunde), the latter being sent directly to the recipient’s home address for the Army, or presented to the recipient in the Luftwaffe or the Kriegsmarine.

Receipt of this decoration was scrupulously inscribed in the personal papers of the recipient (Soldbuch & Wehrpass), and added to the ’’List of Honor’’  published two times a month, listing the new recipients of the decoration (whether in Gold or in Silver).  This List was separately published by the Luftwaffe for its personnel and by the Army (including the la Waffen SS) for theirs.  A similar List was published for the Kriegsmarine.

 

 

 

It should be noted that the recipient received a confirmation telegram with congratulations from his relevant Headquarters.

 

Provisional Certificates for the Cross in Gold:

We have noted that the Army (also including the Waffen SS) issued both a provisional certificate (Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis) AND a formal certificate (Besitzurkunde), but the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine only issued a formal certificate (Besitzurkunde).  A unique example of a provisional certificate for the Kriegsmarine is reported, attributed to Oberleutnant zur See d.R. Adolf ROOSEN (7 February 1945 – we consider this type which does not show the design of the decoration as a variation which remains to be confirmed).  All the same, it seems that the end of the conflict did see the appearance of a Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis for the Luftwaffe, but these provisional certificates are not really considered official documents by the authors.  We rather view these only as temporary documents issued by a unit commander to permit wear of the decoration before official bestowal of the Besitzurkunde.

 

The provisional certificates (Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis ) are of the format 150mm x 210mm on fine paper.  The text is printed ; the design of the Cross is printed at the top.  The recipient’s personal details are typed in. One may distinguish 5 different types :

- ‘’IN NAMEN DES FÜHRER UND OBERSTEN BEFEHLSHABERS DER WEHRMACHT’’. It is signed by GFM von BRAUCHITSCH. ‘’Der Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres’’

- ‘’IN NAMEN DES FÜHRER UND OBERSTEN BEFEHLSHABER DER WEHRMACHT’’. It is signed by GFM KEITEL. The old title is crossed out and replaced by ‘’ Oberkommando des Heeres’’ typed in.

- ’’IN NAMEN DES FÜHRER’’. It is signed by GFM KEITEL. The title ‘’Oberkommando des Heeres’’ is printed.

- ’’IN NAMEN DES FÜHRER’’. It is signed by GFM KEITEL ‘’Oberkommando des Heeres’’, and the dots beneath the space for the date are no longer used, but are entirely typed.

- ’’IN NAMEN DES FÜHRER’’. It is signed by GFM KEITEL‘’Oberkommando des Heeres’’ . The stamp is different from the two previous and no longer includes the inscription ‘’Heerespersonalamt’’.

Click on images to enlarge

Provisional Certificate for the Cross in Silver:

This is only reported for the Army. It is difficult to establish generalities of fact due to the rarity of this class.  The type presented is different than for the Gold.  The personal details are typed without mention of the unit.  It is signed by the Chief of the ‘’Heeres Personalamt’’ who up until 2/10/42 was GenMaj/GenLt BURGDORF ; then up to 12/10/44 by GENLT LINNARZ ; and finally until 15/1/45 by GenLt MEISEL.  It bears the inscription ‘’Das DEUTSCHE KREUZ IN SILBER’’.

The Formal Certificate :

The formal certificates (Besitzurkunde ) are of 254mm x 356mm format , on heavy paper for all branches of the armed forces. The decoration is shown on the document at the top center.  The formal certificates are different for each branch of service.


Heer

Two variants exist in designs of the Cross. This describes the Gold.  The unit is inscribed below the rank and name of the recipient.

• Up to 21 December 1941, they are signed by GFM von BRAUCHITSCH.  The personal details were written in red-brown ink.  The design of the Cross is gilt.  The stamp is in blue-gray ink.  The document is conferred by the ‘’OBERBEFEHLSHABER DES HEERES’’.
  

• From 21 December 1941 to the end, they are signed by GFM KEITEL.  The personal details are hand written in red-brown ink.  Conferred on this version by the ‘’OBERKOMMANDO DES HEERES’’

A model for the Cross in Silver is reported, with the Cross printed in silver, signed by GFM KEITEL.  The name is typed.  The pressed seal shows an embossed eagle.  The stamp may be in ink. (source Forman)

Luftwaffe 

On these formal certificates (Besitzurkunde), the text is pre-printed, only needing typewritten details for the rank, given name, name and the date of bestowal. (The seal is embossed and shows an eagle holding two crossed Marshal’s batons (emblem of RM GÖRING). 

On the example reported for the Cross in Silver, all is identical, with exception of the inscription ‘’DAS DEUTSCHE KREUZ IN SILBER’’. 

* Note : as the army paratroopers ceased to exist as of 1.1.39 when the FIB transferred to the Luftwaffe, all DK's documents given to former army paras were in the Luftwaffe format. The first former army paratrooper to receive the DK i G was Hans-Georg LEHMANN who won the award on 25.2.42. 

Kriegsmarine

Two types of formal certificate exist for the Cross in Gold: The seal is embossed
- signed by Grossadmiral RAEDER ‘’DER OBERBEFEHLSHABER DER KRIEGSMARINE’’, ‘’IN NAMEN DES FÜHRER UND OBERSTEN BEFEHLSHABERS DER WEHRMACHT’’, the personal details are typed without mention of the unit. 
- Signed by Grossadmiral DÖNITZ, ‘’IN NAMEN DES FÜHRER’’. The personal details are typed without mention of the unit. 

For the example observed for the Cross in Silver, everything is identical to the second type, except for the inscription ‘’DAS DEUTSCHE KREUZ IN SILBER’’. 

The signatories on the Certificate ( Besitzurkunde ) were :

Luftwaffe :

All the formal certificates issued by the Luftwaffe bear the signature (often only a facsimile) of Reichsmarschall Göring (in the center) attested by the signature (in the lower right) of a General officer of the Luftwaffe as follows:

1. Up to February 1943 : KASTNER-KIRSDORF

2. From February 1943 to 20 December 1944 : LOERZER

3. From 20 December 1944 to the end : MEISTER

 

Kriegsmarine : 

Until 29 January 1943: certificates signed by Grossadmiral Raeder, from then on by Grossadmiral Dönitz.

Heer/Waffen SS :

Until 21 December 1941: certificates signed by Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch,
from then on by Generalfeldmarschall Keitel
* They also signed for the Waffen SS

See signature examples above 

No documents for the German Cross in Gold With Diamonds exist.

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